Chaos in Brazil — Márquez wins sprint
MotoGP’s long‑awaited return to Brazil was chaotic — a sinkhole on the main straight and heavy rain delayed sessions, but the sprint race ran and Marc Márquez took the victory after a close fight with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Jorge Martín. The event earned praise for on‑track drama but drew criticism for poor organization and safety hiccups. (rtve.es) (motorsport.com)
The weekend’s races were held at the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiânia, the first MotoGP appearance in Brazil since 2004 when the series last raced in Rio de Janeiro. (motorcycles.news: ) Circuit staff found a sinkhole on the main straight after MotoGP qualifying that measured roughly 1 metre wide and 2.5 metres long and ran at right angles across the track, prompting an immediate stoppage of on‑track activity. (motomatters.com: ) Organisers and track crews excavated the damaged section and filled it rapidly with aggregate and compacted material in an emergency repair effort that forced the Saturday schedule to be revised and postponed by about 90 minutes. (RTVE: ) Heavy rain earlier in the Goiás region had left the new Goiânia surface soft and prone to subsidence, a factor repeatedly cited by teams and media as contributing to the asphalt failure and wider weekend drainage issues. (Eurosport: ) On track, Fabio Di Giannantonio led for the opening 12 laps of the sprint before a mistake at Turn 12 with three laps remaining cost him the advantage, permitting a late pass to decide the podium positions. (bikesportnews.com: ) Timing sheets show the top two were separated by 0.213 seconds at the finish, while Jorge Martín completed the podium 3.587 seconds behind the leader. (racetrackmasters.com: ) Riders publicly questioned safety oversight after videos and photos of the excavation circulated and were later removed from social platforms, with several riders telling reporters they were surprised by the track failure but noting the hole’s location did not directly cross the racing line. (paddock-gp.com: )
